Ready to experience the variety of offerings on Siesta Key this month? Let us give you some suggestions:
Turtle Beach on the south end is a treat, and an Easter-egg hunt makes it that much sweeter. From 9 a.m. to noon April 3you’ll have a blast with the kiddos, thanks to the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce. It helps offset the sadness of the annual sunset service on the beach being cancelled this year.
Next, everyone loves Siesta Beach, home to an enormous stretch of public sand and all things volleyball, sand sculpting, swimming, shell collecting, and unmatched people watching on what is often ranked as America’s No. 1 beach.
So, with it being the height of Spring Break, you’ll feel the energy here in a big way. Count the number of different license plates and college shirts!
Meanwhile, on every Sunday, hundreds of beachgoers drum to the Siesta Key beat within the one-of-a-kind drum circle. It starts near the Siesta Beach pavilion at about 4:30 p.m. and rocks until sunset. If you don’t have a bongo to pound, having a Hula Hoop to swirl around your hips will do the trick. Jump in the middle and go! You won’t be alone.
Otherwise, this is a month geared toward tourism and the myriad of things our visitors are aching to do. Parasailing, wave runners, tubing in the gulf, deep-sea or Intercoastal Waterway fishing, paddleboarding, kayaking, biking, Segways, scooters … you get the idea. Oh, and the mini-cars are a blast (see story to the left).
As for live music, most every establishment has it every night. Classic rock is the usual driving force. One of the Key’s favorite musicians is profiled in this issue of Siesta Sand.
Meanwhile, the Key has a trolley that can take you back and forth as needed. How about that for convenience? Please know that masks are required for riders right now.
Finally, cross the bridges and stock up on what you need at the Phillippi Farmhouse Market, held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays at 5500 S. Tamiami Trail. More than 50 vendors make it a maze of splendor. It’s the final month for the market before it goes on summer hiatus, so now’s your chance.
A smaller market is held in the Siesta Key Village from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays.
Author: John Morton